My *New* Maestro

[D87SMW]

Oh dunna be like that, we are all in awe, honest. You have underlined what a true enthusiast you are by putting your money where your mouth is. Do me a favour will you? Let's have a write up for Monstro!

Already started that, Simon. Coming your way soon.

[SimonR]

Well, that has to be one of the most unusual Maestros in the club!

I'm very pleased it's in the hands of such an enthusiastic chap as Steve.

Tell me Steve: are you going to leave those plastic covers on the seats or do you dare remove them?!

I suggest you get up close and personal with it and a large can of rust inhibitor pronto...

[D87SMW]

Well, that has to be one of the most unusual Maestros in the club!

I'm very pleased it's in the hands of such an enthusiastic chap as Steve.

Tell me Steve: are you going to leave those plastic covers on the seats or do you dare remove them?!

I suggest you get up close and personal with it and a large can of rust inhibitor pronto...

Thanks - Oh yes those seat covers are staying!

It will get treated and pampered, don't you worry. No lifts for my mother or her workmates! :laugh:

Can't wait to see the car again, but I have the Vanden Plas to find a home for yet.

[G51 NAV]

VP

I think you're going to have to bite the bullet and put a new 'screen in that VP. You'll have a much better chance of selling it if it at least *looks* like it may pass it's next MOT. A twelve inch crack right across the middle is a bit of a giveaway :laugh: As it stands you could only really advertise it as spares or repairs.

[Oli]

As it stands you could only really advertise it as spares or repairs.

What a shame it would be if it met that fate

[G51 NAV]

FAO: Mr WetFish

Dear Mr WetFish

Assuming that your lastest post consisted of nothing more than the usual paragraphs of vaguely-disguised insults and sarcastic diatribe, I think it's only fair that you know that both Steve and myself have long-since exercised our rights to not be provoked by your posts by adding your login ID to our 'ignore' lists. So we don't actually see any posts made by yourself.

If it turns out that, for the first time in your posting history, you actually wrote something complimentary and non-provoking, please accept my thanks on behalf of the good gentleman. But I risk writing this because I suspect you didn't. I'm sure one of the mods will soon tell me if my suspicions were wrong.

(Oh by the way don't waste your energy by writing a response designed for either of us to read, because as I've just pointed out we won't be able to read it).

Have a Nice Day

[Chris Y]

If it turns out that, for the first time in your posting history, you actually wrote something complimentary and non-provoking, please accept my thanks

Well, he did... So I'm sure he'll accept your thanks

[G51 NAV]

What, no sarcasm at all? I struggle with that :laugh: He must be 'on' something, or lost his touch or summat. He must be acting his grand old age for once

[Wetfish]

Now I’ve been giving this some serious thought regarding registering this unique vehicle and I’ve come to the conclusion you shouldn’t register it Sport!!
At the moment it’s unregistered and unique. But if you register it, what happens? It becomes another maestro on the road just like all the others. You’ll clock up the miles I expect, popping along to shows and taking a spin to the nearest club meeting or even taking your latest squeeze down quiet country lanes to test the recliners. Give it a couple of years of this normal use and what have you got, a well used car. You’ll have to pay to register it, MOT, road tax petrol, running costs etc. a small fortune and all the time the car is loosing something as each mile is travelled and that’s not counting the cost of upholstery cleaning stuff after your sojourns down the lanes.( In my day it was all vinyl seats, a quick wipe with a damp tissue and nobody’s the wiser)
But, but! If you didn’t register it and obviously not use it (I’m not advocating you doing anything illegal here Sport!!) You’ve got a unique vehicle, forever known as the Last Unregistered Maestro or LUM for short. Now that’s a talking point, the stuff of legends, I bet the Club will make you President for life (or until you register it). And the dosh you’ve saved ? Buy a tow hitch and a trailer and you can still exhibit it at shows etc. I bet you get invited and paid to attend certain shows even, might even be a money spinner in the long-term, how about that!
You can still sit in it, you can still get the squeeze into the back seats, if she’s still around of course. You can polish it once a month and be safe in knowing that you’ve got LUM tucked up in the garage and the Legend continues….
If any of the Powers That Be are reading this I’d like to start a poll. Something along the lines of:- Should the Last Unregistered Maestro be registered? Yes or No
Obviously I’m not suggesting that the result of any poll would be binding on the owner but such is the strength of feeling on the subject I think the result would be of interest to the man in the street, shall we say.
Let’s get the people to the Polls!!

PS.
Apparently a few contributors have pressed some buttons they shouldn’t have and can’t read some of the posts made by my good self, never mind they’ll only get half a story now. That’ll teach them press things indiscriminately.

PPS
On second thoughts, I bet they’re peeping somehow, too afraid of missing out methinks!

[Guest]

Now I’ve been giving this some serious thought regarding registering this unique vehicle and I’ve come to the conclusion you shouldn’t register it Sport!!
At the moment it’s unregistered and unique. But if you register it, what happens? It becomes another maestro on the road just like all the others. You’ll clock up the miles I expect, popping along to shows and taking a spin to the nearest club meeting or even taking your latest squeeze down quiet country lanes to test the recliners. Give it a couple of years of this normal use and what have you got, a well used car. You’ll have to pay to register it, MOT, road tax petrol, running costs etc. a small fortune and all the time the car is loosing something as each mile is travelled and that’s not counting the cost of upholstery cleaning stuff after your sojourns down the lanes.( In my day it was all vinyl seats, a quick wipe with a damp tissue and nobody’s the wiser)
But, but! If you didn’t register it and obviously not use it (I’m not advocating you doing anything illegal here Sport!!) You’ve got a unique vehicle, forever known as the Last Unregistered Maestro or LUM for short. Now that’s a talking point, the stuff of legends, I bet the Club will make you President for life (or until you register it). And the dosh you’ve saved ? Buy a tow hitch and a trailer and you can still exhibit it at shows etc. I bet you get invited and paid to attend certain shows even, might even be a money spinner in the long-term, how about that!
You can still sit in it, you can still get the squeeze into the back seats, if she’s still around of course. You can polish it once a month and be safe in knowing that you’ve got LUM tucked up in the garage and the Legend continues….
If any of the Powers That Be are reading this I’d like to start a poll. Something along the lines of:- Should the Last Unregistered Maestro be registered? Yes or No
Obviously I’m not suggesting that the result of any poll would be binding on the owner but such is the strength of feeling on the subject I think the result would be of interest to the man in the street, shall we say.
Let’s get the people to the Polls!!

PS.
Apparently a few contributors have pressed some buttons they shouldn’t have and can’t read some of the posts made by my good self, never mind they’ll only get half a story now. That’ll teach them press things indiscriminately.

PPS
On second thoughts, I bet they’re peeping somehow, too afraid of missing out methinks!

Whenever a car like this comes up (the last Maestro was another one), there is this debate about whether to keep it in a heated garage forever or to use it.

Last year I attended a concours event, seeing a line of Fiesta XR2s, Escort XR3is and Sierra Cosworths all in mint condition without a spec of dirt on them. It was fantastic looking at the cars and seeing them as they would have left the factory. On the way home I overtook a Mk1 Escort on a trailer with a sheet over it, on its way back from the event. The only thing I could think was 'what a waste'. I believe in looking after cars, and my car gets a good polish on a regular basis. But these cars are never driven, even on a dry Sunday afternoon. They were made to be enjoyed and driven, not to spend more time being cleaned than they do being used.

You have a good point about registering it- as soon as it is registered, it looses its unique unregistered status. But if this car isn't going to be used, what's the point? Steve is a classic car enthusiast, not a museum curator. While it would be a shame to use it as a normal car, it would be just as bad to keep it in cotton wool. I think very light summer use is the best thing for it, preferably only when it's dry.

[D87SMW]

Whenever a car like this comes up (the last Maestro was another one), there is this debate about whether to keep it in a heated garage forever or to use it.

Last year I attended a concours event, seeing a line of Fiesta XR2s, Escort XR3is and Sierra Cosworths all in mint condition without a spec of dirt on them. It was fantastic looking at the cars and seeing them as they would have left the factory. On the way home I overtook a Mk1 Escort on a trailer with a sheet over it, on its way back from the event. The only thing I could think was 'what a waste'. I believe in looking after cars, and my car gets a good polish on a regular basis. But these cars are never driven, even on a dry Sunday afternoon. They were made to be enjoyed and driven, not to spend more time being cleaned than they do being used.

You have a good point about registering it- as soon as it is registered, it looses its unique unregistered status. But if this car isn't going to be used, what's the point? Steve is a classic car enthusiast, not a museum curator. While it would be a shame to use it as a normal car, it would be just as bad to keep it in cotton wool. I think very light summer use is the best thing for it, preferably only when it's dry.

LOL @ 500 words of WetFish's utter drivel! Wouldn't have seen that had Peter not quoted the post.

Peter, I *wish* I had a (heated) garage to store the car in, or even a car port, but I don't. I'll still be making a point of keeping the car covered, though - my disgusting cretin of a neighbour finds it amusing to spit greenies and chewing gum at my car over the fence, not to mention his 4x4's towbar pushing in the front bumper on F170.

Like you Peter, I 'use' my cars but also spend time looking after them. This car will hopefully get limited summertime use when I don't need to travel to Uni. It won't be used as a 'normal' car as such - but I love to drive Maestros so it will not be stuck on the driveway forever.

My normal driving only sees around 2k over a six-month period before swapping to the other car. As I won't *need* to travel over the summer, this car is only likely to do half that, at the most, for a while yet.

However if any museums are interested....

[D87SMW]

New Maestro

RD and I spent a few hours yesterday cleaning up the new Maestro (among other Maestros and Montegos). I gave the car a wash, clayed it all over with the Meguiars and then polished it up with AutoGlym SRP. Also dressed the tyres with AG Tyre Dressing which is great stuff too. The bumper end caps are no longer white thanks to RD's bumper black 'paint' - New photos to be found below (click image to view full size) - Enjoy :

During the wash:



Finished article:



Scenic photos:

[Beaker]

Presumably you have registered, tax, mot'd and insured the vehicle now. Being as you have scenic shots?

I notice you are using only one bucket and a sponge. If you are serious about detailing, as it seems you maybe by spurting a couple of brand names off then I would reccomend using a wool mitt and two buckets, with a grit guard in the bottom. It may also be worth sealing the wax/polish.

[Wetfish]

What type of sponge did you use?:laugh:

[MAESTRO_MONTEGO]

:laugh: when are you going to bubblewrap it as birds mite sh it on it:laugh: